The present invention relates to an enclosed area on a blow molded article and method of making the same.
It is generally known to provide a molded article that has a pair of cavities, with one cavity that is not parallel to the other cavity (e.g., configured to receive and secure a member or another part). Such non-parallel cavities are typically apertures cut into a container, a separate piece (e.g., a bracket), or a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94shaped recess that is intended to provide a snap-fit structure. An example of such known molded articles is a blow molded container or refuse container having wheels mounted to an axle inserted in the non-parallel cavity. Another such molded article may be a blow molded storage enclosure, such as a shed, bin, etc. that typically include a hinge mounted (e.g., fastened, inserted into a dovetail groove, etc.) to a non-parallel cavity on the storage enclosure and/or a lid or cover.
However, blow molded articles having cavities that are non-parallel to the main cavity may present disadvantages, such as failure to perform their intended purpose (e.g., an axle or other member is not securely held in a cavity as desired), additional parts are required, restrictive tolerances or undue precision is required for assembly and installation of supplemental parts, cost and time burden in assembly, overall configurations that tend to show visual defects or imperfections, the costs of skilled labor, inspection and occasional repair or quality control during and after assembly or installation, etc.
To provide an inexpensive, reliable and widely adaptable technique of providing an enclosed area that is not parallel to a main cavity in a blow molded article to avoid the above-referenced and other problems would represent a significant advance in the art. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a blow molded article having an integrally molded wall that provides a cavity or enclosed area. It would also be advantageous to provide a blow molded article that is constructed of fewer components and/or fabricated from fewer parts (e.g., integrally molded or machined). It would further be advantageous to provide a refuse container having an integrally molded bore configured to receive and support an axle. It would be desirable to provide for an enclosed area on a blow molded article and a method of making the same having one or more of these or other advantageous features.
How these and other advantages and features of the present invention are accomplished, individually, collectively or in various subcombinations, is described in the following detailed description of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings. Generally, however, they may be accomplished in a method of making a blow molded article comprising supplying a preform to a mold having a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity having a pin, closing the mold, supplying a fluid to the closed mold, expanding a first portion and a second portion of the preform around the pin, and contacting the first portion and the second portion to provide an enclosure.
These and other features of the present invention may also be accomplished in a method of making a blow molded article. The method comprises supplying a preform to a mold having a first mold cavity and a second mold cavity, the first cavity having a pin, closing the mold and sealing the preform, supplying a fluid to the preform, expanding the preform so that a first portion and a second portion of the preform expand around the pin, contacting and joining the first portion and the second portion to provide an enclosure, and removing the pin from the enclosure.
These and other features of the present invention may further be accomplished in a blow molded article. The blow molded article includes a body defining a cavity, and a wall integrally-formed with the body and providing an enclosure.
These and other features of the present invention may further be accomplished in a refuse container formed by blow molding. The refuse container comprises a body defining a cavity having a first axis, a wall defining an enclosure integrally formed with the body and having a second axis which is non-parallel to the first axis, an axle disposed in the enclosed area, and a pair of wheels coupled to the axle.
The present invention further relates to various features and combinations of features shown and described in the disclosed embodiments. Other ways in which the objects of the present invention are accomplished will be described in the following specification or will become apparent to those skilled in the art after they have read this specification. Such other ways are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow.